A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the use of these self-propelled vehicles is increasingly common for passenger trains, but rare for freight.
A switcher, shunter, yard pilot, switch engine, yard goat, or shifter is a small railroad locomotive used for manoeuvring railroad cars inside a rail yard in a process known as switching (US) or shunting (UK). Switchers are not intended for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains in order for another locomotive to take over. They do this in classification yards. Switchers may also make short transfer runs and even be the only motive power on branch lines and switching and terminal railroads. The term can also be used to describe the workers operating these engines or engaged in directing shunting operations. Switching locomotives may be purpose-built engines, but may also be downgraded main-line engines, or simply main-line engines assigned to switching. Switchers can also be used on short excursion train rides.
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force can either refer to the total traction a vehicle exerts on a surface, or the amount of the total traction that is parallel to the direction of motion.
General Electric Genesis is a series of passenger diesel locomotives produced by GE Transportation, then a subsidiary of General Electric. Between 1992 and 2001, a total of 321 units were built for Amtrak, Metro-North, and Via Rail.
Prima is a family of railway diesel and electric locomotives built by Alstom. During the late 1990s, manufacture of the type had commenced; by 2008, Alstom had reportedly sold 1,750 Prima locomotives. In 2009, the second generation Prima II was launched. During 2013, the Prima H3 diesel/battery hybrid locomotive was launched.
The SNCF Class BB 27300 is an electric locomotive. There are 67 BB 27300 locomotives, built as part of the Prima range by Alstom. The first BB 27300 were delivered starting in 2006. Painted in the blue and white livery of Transilien, the brand name for the SNCF network around Paris, these locomotives are the passenger equivalent of the freight-only SNCF Class BB 27000 and are equipped for push-pull operation on suburban passenger services in the Île-de-France region around Paris, working with refurbished VB2N double-deck carriages.
The Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Class 66 are Co-Co diesel locomotives built by EMD for the European heavy freight market. Designed for use in Great Britain as the British Rail Class 66, a development of the Class 59, they have been adapted and certified for use in other European countries. Outside Europe, 40 locomotives have been sold to Egyptian Railways for passenger operation.
The NSB El 17 is a class of twelve electric locomotives built by Thyssen-Henschel and Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The class was built in two batches, the first delivered in 1982 and numbered 2221–2226, and the second delivered in 1987 and numbered 2227–2232. The traction system of the El 17 was based on the DB Class 120 of Germany and were among the first in the world to feature three-phase asynchronous motors. The units were ordered to be used on the intercity Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines, but were plagued with technical faults. The unreliability and lack of sufficient power forced NSB to instead use them in the regional Vestfold and Gjøvik Lines. With the delivery of the El 18, the first series was retired or used as shunters. The second series has been used on the Flåm Line since 1998.
The Sr1 is a class of electric locomotives built for VR of Finland. These 25 kV locomotives were built in the Soviet Union at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Factory between 1973 and 1985. Two additional locomotives of this class were built at the VR Hyvinkää Machine Workshop in 1993 and 1995, number 3111 from spare parts and number 3112 from the original prototype locomotive that was never used by the VR. The official classification given by the manufacturer is VL70 or ES40.
The Dv12 is the standard Finnish medium-weight diesel-hydraulic road switcher operated by VR. As all the main lines of Finnish railway network have been electrificied, the locomotive is designated mostly to unelectrified, less frequently used side lines. Occasionally it may still pull cargo trains on main lines. It has also been put in service as a shunter, replacing older classes Dv15 and Dv16 as they were retired. A total of 192 locomotives were built by Lokomo and Valmet between the years 1963 and 1984. As of 2022, the oldest Dv12 units still in use are 59 years old.
The EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens Mobility. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.
The Prima Diesel-electric locomotives are a class of medium and heavy, four- and six-axle, passenger and freight mainline locomotives. They have been built both to 1,435 mm standard and 1,668 mm broad gauges, and find use in the Middle East, Europe and North America. Alstom is the primary designer in cooperation with both General Motors and Siemens.
The Eurorunner family of locomotives are a series of medium- to high-power diesel-electric locomotives built by Siemens for the European market. Introduced from 2002 onwards, they share design characteristics with the successful Eurosprinter range of electric locomotives, also built by Siemens.
The Class 340 of Renfe were a class of 4-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Krauss-Maffei for the Spanish Railways. The design is similar in outward appearance and technology to the DB Class V 200. 32 units were built.
The JT 42BW is a class of four axle Bo'Bo' diesel electric locomotives manufactured by Alstom's Meinfesa plant in Spain for Israel Railways (IR). The locomotives were the primary passenger locomotive unit used by IR through the 2000s.
The JT 42CW is a class of six axle Co'Co' diesel electric freight locomotives manufactured by Alstom's Meinfesa plant in Valencia Spain in the late 1990s for use by Israel Railways (IR).
Baldwin, the locomotive manufacturer, and Westinghouse, the promoter of AC electrification, joined forces in 1895 to develop AC railway electrification. Soon after the turn of the century, they marketed a single-phase high-voltage system to railroads. From 1904 to 1905 they supplied locomotives carrying a joint builder's plate to a number of American railroads, particularly for the New Haven line from New York to New Haven, and other New Haven lines. Westinghouse would produce the motors, controls, and other electrical gear, while Baldwin would produce the running gear, frame, body, and perform final assembly.
OSE class A-450, also known as 450άρα or Καναδέζα is a series of diesel-electric locomotives used by TrainOSE. They were built and put into operation by OSE in 1973. Construction was made by Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada. Outwardly they look like the class A.501, with the basic difference that they are of lesser strength and have different appearance, before rebuilding, as in the elevated head-ons they housed the steam heating boiler. This allowed them to be used in passenger routes during the winter.
OSE class A.501, also known as 500άρα. or Καναδέζα, is a series of diesel-electric locomotives operated by TRAINOSE. This locomotive was built in 1974 at by MLW and was put into operation by OSE in 1975. Outwardly they resemble the class A.451 locomotive with the main difference that they are of higher power and have different appearance before rebuilding as they did not have an elevated head-on with steam heating boiler. This did not allow them to be used in passenger cars during the winter, although they had electric heating.
